Paper popper toy

ABSTRACT

A paper popper toy for popping a folded paper popper member, the toy having a handle portion and a body portion formed from a single piece of material which is opened flat for insertion of the paper to be popped and folded together for use and having a slot in the frontal body portion of the toy extending from the center fold line so that the halves forming the frontal body portion may spread outwardly away from each other as the paper is popped.

Unite Sites ntent Shavinslty [54] PAPER POPPER TOY [72] Inventor: Isaac Shavinsky, 701 16th, Minneapolis,

Minn. 55411 [22] Filed: June 24, 1970 211 App]. No.: 49,461

Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-D. L. Weinhold Attorney-John W. Adams 5 7] ABSTRACT A paper popper toy for popping a folded paper popper member, the toy having a handle portion and a body portion (SI formed from a single piece of material which is owned flat for [58] Field 175 x E insertion of the paper to be popped and folded together for use and having a slot in the frontal body portion of the toy extending from the centerfold line so that the halves forming the [56] References Cited frontal body portion may spread outwardly away from each FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS other as the P p is p pp 1,106,488 0/1955 France ..46/ l 74 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures I I 6 a. /2 N i i c 20 e I 22a l8a l 4 e l 24 l l l a Hil 7 ll N! I l i l l PAPER roman TOY It has been well known for some time how to fold a segment of paper so that a rapid flexing movement of the hand held paper would cause the paper to open up to capture air and produce a loud pop. This, however, is not a sufficiently amusing item for children. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a toy for children which will removably hold paper to be popped and which allows the paper to capture a quantity of air with a rapid downward movement of the toy. Ideally, the toy should produce a louder pop than hand held paper.

My invention is a toy for holding a segment of paper which has been folded so that it will pop when drawn through the air rapidly. The toy, according to my invention, consists of a single piece of material having two halves separated by a fold line which, when folded together, will form the toy. There is a handle or gripping portion of the toy and a body portion of the toy in which the paper to be popped is removably mounted in vertically extending slots which fit tabs on the paper. In the frontal portion of the toy body, where the paper is held, a slot is provided which extends from the fold line to the forward end of the toy and which allows the halves forming the bifurcated frontal portion of the toy to spread outwardly away from each other, allowing the paper to capture air and pop as it is drawn rapidly through the air. In the ready position, before the paper is to be popped, the halves forming the frontal portion of the toy tend to grip the paper lightly, holding it in the best attitude for the popping action to follow. This gripping action, it is believed, may accentuate the popping sound produced by the paper.

Accordingly, a general object of my invention is to provide a paper popper toy formed of a single piece of material having two halves separated by a fold line with a slot extending from the fold line to the front of the toy so that the paper mounted in the front of the toy will separate the halves forming the bifurcated frontal portion of the toy outwardly away from each other during the paper popping movement.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the paper popper, according to my invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along lines 2-2 of FIG. ll.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along lines 33 of FIG. ll.

FIG. 4 is a view of the paper popper toy, according to my invention, in the folded open position.

The paper popper toy, according to my invention, is generally designated by reference numeral 110 in the figures. A section of paper folded in the proper configuration for popping is generally designated by reference numeral 12, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. In FIGS. l and 2, the paper is shown in dotted lines in the expanded or popped" position.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the paper popper toy, according to my invention, is intended to be made from a single piece of material, such as, for example, plastic. The toy will consist of two halves, A and B, which will be joined at a fold line 14 which will serve to allow the toy to be folded open for insertion and removal of the paper to be popped and to be folded to closed position so that the toy may be used. Extending from the handle elements, 16a and 16b, is the body portion of the toy, 18a and 18b, designating the halves of the toy on either side of the fold line respectively.

When the toy is in the open or flat position, the paper to be popped l2, which is folded so that it has triangularly shaped cars, 20, is inserted by the ears 20 through slots in the body of the toy which will securely hold the paper in the toy during the popping action. The slots consist of two large slots, 22a and 22b, designating the slots in the different body portions of the toy respectively, and two small slots, 24a and 24b, designating slots in the different body halves of the toy respectively. It will be seen from the figures, that the slots are positioned so that the bottom ends of each pair of slots in the body halves form a line parallel to the body of the toy so that the edge of the paper to be popped, I2, is held between the body portions of the toy with the bottom edge approximately parallel with the edge of the body of the toy. The frontal portion of the body of the toy is separated by a slot, 26, which extends from the fold line M to the forward end of the body portion of the toy so that a bifurcated barrel portion of the body is formed. It will be appreciated from FIG. ll, that the slots 22a, 22b, 24a, and 24b are positioned with respect to the slot 26, so that the halves forming the frontal portion of the toy may separate outwardly away from each other, allowing the paper to pop outwardly in the required manner. In the ready position, the paper member 112 extends upwardly through the slot 26.

In FIG. 4, the paper to be popped is shown in the closed position so that the toy may be folded together and the paper popped. However, the drawing shows the gusset portion C of the paper which opens forwardly producing the pop" as the toy is drawn rapidly through the air. Typically, a child would aim the toy essentially upwardly in a cocked" position and draw the toy rapidly downwardly to a position approximately level with the ground to produce the popping sound. However, the paper may be popped by moving it rapidly in any direction. The forward portion of the gusset 30 moves forwardly, and in the open popped position, sticks out beyond the bifurcated barrel portion of the toy, as shown by the dotted line portion of the segment in FIG. II. The dotted line segment in FIG. 2 also shows the paper as it is popped with the halves forming the bifurcated barrel portion of the toy somewhat spread apart as the forward portion of the gusset is popped outwardly.

It will be appreciated that I have provided a paper popper toy which allows a segment of paper which is folded in a wellknown manner to be removably mounted so that a useful amusement device is provided for children. As the paper segment is worn out from repeated popping, it can be replaced with new sections folded by the user from available paper supplies such as newspapers. The provision of the toy in a single unit which does not need to be assembled and disassembled for use by a child makes it especially convenient. The bifurcated barrel portion of the toy provides a gripping action to hold the paper in place until it is popped, at which time the halves forming the bifurcated portion spread outwardly away from each other. It will be appreciated that the bifurcated portion of the toy must be made of relatively stiff sheet material to provide the appropriate gripping action of the paper and the required resiliency so that the popping action will occur in the desired manner.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention, which generally stated, consists in the manner set forth in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A paper popper toy comprising a mounting for a removable paper popper member having a handle portion and a bifurcated barrel portion, said barrel portion being made from a pair of relatively stiff sheet segments disposed in side by side opposed relation, each having gripping slot means for mounting the paper popper member, a snap-out gusset popper element having attachment portions removably received in said slot means and disposed between said two segments, said two segments confining said gusset in folded position but being yieldable suddenly to the pressure exerted when the toy is snapped through the air to spread apart said segments and said gusset into stretched position and produce the desired popping noise.

2. The apparatus of claim I wherein each segment has a pair of gripping slots and the popper member has a pair of cars, each ear being removably mounted in its pair of slots.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the slots in the respective halves of the barrel are located in the midportion of the barrel of the toy near the commencement of the bifurcated frontal portion so that the gusset portion of the popper member is mounted forwardly of the mounting slots in the barrel. 

1. A paper popper toy comprising a mounting for a removable paper popper member having a handle portion and a bifurcated barrel portion, said barrel portion being made from a pair of relatively stiff sheet segments disposed in side by side opposed relation, each having gripping slot means for mounting the paper popper member, a snap-out gusset popper element having attachment portions removably received in said slot means and disposed between said two segments, said two segments confining said gusset in folded position but being yieldable suddenly to the pressure exerted when the toy is snapped through the air to spread apart said segments and said gusset into stretched position and produce the desired popping noise.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each segment has a pair of gripping slots and the popper member has a pair of ears, each ear being removably mounted in its pair of slots.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the slots in the respective halves of the barrel are located in the midportion of the barrel of the toy near the commencement of the bifurcated frontal portion so that the gusset portion of the popper member is mounted forwardly of the mounting slots in the barrel. 